Borussia Dortmund Player Ratings vs RB Leipzig: 2/10 for dismal Emre Can; rest 6 or lower

Erling Haaland struggled once again as Borussia Dortmund stumbled to a 4-1 defeat at the hands of RB Leipzig on Saturday.

Borussia Dortmund’s hopes of a late title charge are all but over as they slumped to a 4-1 defeat at the hands of RB Leipzig on Saturday. The loss helped Bayern Munich extend their lead at the top to nine points after the Bavarians secured a 4-1 victory over SC Freiburg on the same day.

It was a shambolic performance from a Dortmund side playing at the packed Westfalenstadion for the first time in over two years. Despite the relentless home support, the players struggled with form and failed to work together as a unit, often finding it difficult to dominate Leipzig after initially making a promising start to the game.

Dortmund’s lack of organisation saw Leipzig score two quickfire goals in the first half, thanks to Konrad Laimer. The Leipzig midfielder was a menacing figure in the middle of the park, making life difficult for the BVB defence and midfield.

Things did not change for Dortmund in the second half, with Christopher Nkunku making it 3-0 around the 57th-minute break. While the hosts did pull one back through Donyell Malen, Leipzig were quick to restore their three-goal cushion thanks to Dani Olmo’s powerful strike a few minutes later.

Here, at the Hard Tackle, we will run the rule over the Borussia Dortmund players in their shambolic defeat to Leipzig this weekend.

Gregor Kobel: 6/10

Gregor Kobel wasn’t at his best on the evening. He was beaten a bit too easier than usual, though he wasn’t to blame for any of the goals he conceded in between the sticks. It was just a bad day at the office for the Swiss international, who continues to be let down by teammates around him.

Emre Can: 2/10

Emre Can was by far the worst performer on the pitch in this win for Dortmund. The German international sabotaged his team’s chances by making an error that led to the all-important opener. He followed it up by simply being incompetent defensively up against the likes of Angelino and Dani Olmo.

Manuel Akanji: 4/10

Manuel Akanji didn’t provide anything exceptional in defence. After a relatively solid start, the former Basel starlet struggled to keep Andre Silva quiet in the final third. Akanji has been extremely ordinary since the turn of the year, and his summer exit might prove to be beneficial for Dortmund.

Mats Hummels: 5/10

Mats Hummels looked in great touch during the initial phase of the game. He created a marvellous scoring opportunity for Marco Reus, but aside from his skill in possession, he was a weakness defensively. His lack of pace allowed the likes of Olmo and Nkunku to run rings around the BVB defence.

Raphael Guerreiro: 3/10

Raphael Guerreiro was an influential figure going forward. But he was a liability defensively, struggling to cover spaces on the wide area and allowing Nkunku acres of space to work with. He was massively culpable for Dortmund’s poor defensive performance in this game.

Axel Witsel: 4/10

Marco Rose’s gamble with Axel Witsel did not pay off. The Belgian’s lack of space made him a liability for Dortmund as it made the job way easier for the likes of Kevin Kampl and Konrad Laimer to provide quick transition and counterattack the opposition with impunity.

Jude Bellingham: 6/10

Jude Bellingham was playing in front of a packed Westfalenstadion for the first time since joining the club. Unfortunately, his performance wasn’t up to the mark, though he was still one of the more promising players for Dortmund due to his ability to create chances going forward.

Marius Wolf: 4/10

Marius Wolf offered nothing to the table after starting in an attacking position. His lack of quality on the ball was never going to make him useful against a well-oiled Leipzig machine. Another poor decision from Rose’s end.

Thorgan Hazard: 3/10

Thorgan Hazard was another player that disappointed big time. Starting on the right flank, the Belgian offered very little to the table, often running into isolated areas while struggling to link up properly with his teammates. He is another player whose exit could be beneficial for the Black and Yellows this summer.

Marco Reus: 5/10

Marco Reus had a decent start to the game upon his return to the pitch. But he was culpable for missing a golden opportunity during the initial stages of the game. He linked up well with Erling Haaland and others but was let down by his underperforming teammates. The German himself wasn’t at his best and needs more time to settle into speed after a brief spell on the sidelines.

Erling Haaland: 5/10

Erling Haaland provided the threat in the final third, but the Norwegian was defended rather diligently by the Leipzig defence. Not to mention, he missed a golden opportunity to score when he failed to capitalise on Mohamed Simakan’s mistake in the first half. Haaland has yet to score since his return from injury, which is a worrying trend for Dortmund.

Substitutes

Donyell Malen: 6/10

Donyell Malen offered a bit more creativity when he replaced Wolf around the hour mark. His willingness to make things happen saw him rewarded with a goal, albeit a consolation.

Mahmoud Dahoud: 5/10

Mahmoud Dahoud should have started this game as his dynamism and greater athleticism could have proven useful against a proactive Leipzig midfield.

Giovanni Reyna: 6/10

Giovanni Reyna tried his best to make things happen in the final third. Dortmund will be much stronger when he returns to full fitness from the next game onwards.

Julian Brandt: 5/10

Julian Brandt did not offer much to the game after coming as a late substitute. He was, nonetheless, a better attacking outlet than Hazard, who shouldn’t have started the game in the first place.